THANKSGIVING

 

     

Its Thanksgiving in 2017… To us as Americans it’s a historical thing… However, to the church it’s something spiritual…

  

THANKSGIVING; is a biblical description of what the church looks like…

Being thankful was and is an element of what makes the church the church… This leaves also an example to the world an element of the church…

The world is to see what the church looks like… GOD’S people whether they abound or whether they are abased… The world should see a THANKSGIVING coming from the church…

Status should not matter when it comes to the church on whether it can be THANKFUL or not… The saint should give thanks no matter if it’s with or without…

A.      2 Sam 22:50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.   KJV

 

The world’s desire to influence the church, must not be… The world can’t silence the church… Satan cannot silence the church… 

 

The word of GOD records for us… Therefore (I WILL) give thanks unto the LORD, among the heathen… The world, and satan himself has to stand back as the church with (IT’S WILL) chooses to give THANKS…

 

That means that in the process of the church giving thanks; the church is going to be heard… And they that hear will see the difference between the world and us as the church…

For the church will be thankful…

 

The world won’t understand… Their own last day testimony is that of a sign GOD gives in a description of the world… They will be unthankful 2Tim 3:2… But GOD’S purpose the world will see in HIS people, HIS church, the heart and mind to GIVE THANKS unto the LORD…

 

Too the thankful it is a conscience of “I will give thanks…”

To be thankful is a decision to be thankful… It is of our will, our choice to give ourselves to THANKSGIVING…

 

The light of the church, the world will see is the church IS NOISEY IN ITS GIVING OF THANKS…

 

HIS people…

Ps 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.    KJV

 

ENTER that is a big word, because how we enter is stipulated by doing what it takes to ENTER…

 

·        The word to ENTER means right of passage…

·        The right to ENTER means a certain qualification is met, to access…

·        Enter into his gates with thanksgiving: To go through HIS gates into HIS courts, means to do it with but one thing and that is the GIVING OF THANKS…

 

B.     Note too that there is the command for the church…

 

·        It’s a command…

·        This isn’t in the form of a suggestion…

It is a commandment of the LORD… If you’re in the church---the giving of thanks must be seen, and it must be heard in GOD’S command…

1 Thess 5:18 In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.    KJV

 

It is GOD’S will that HIS people be thankful… Yet, it is a means our will must be involved, we too choose to fulfill HIS will and purpose when we GIVE THANKS IN EVERYTHING…

 

C.      Eph 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;    KJV

 

The giving of thanks to GOD and for all HE is and for all HE has done is an essential aspect in the life of the followers of Christ…

 

In all things; for all things give thanks unto GOD…

 

D.     The Psalmist gives another reason to THANKSGIVING…

 

Ps 30:11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee forever.     KJV

 

The psalmist writes, and the understanding is… (ITS NOT HARD TO BE THANKFUL…)

 

·        It’s not hard to be thankful because he said, thou hast turned for me…

 When where I was in my life GOD turned it for me…

·        When I couldn’t and when I wouldn’t turn myself…

 

HE came and gave me warning… And the warning said, (TURN…) When HE came and reproved or gave rebuke… HIS purpose was that HE turned me…

When there was no changing of my mind or my heart GOD came along, and HIS word found me, and it turned me…

  

·        That word (TURN) also means (CHANGE…) HE (changed) me…

·        Being made a new creature in Christ is HE has made a change in me…

·        When old things are passed away and all things become new… That is change…

·        From shackles of the world’s vices and habits… Change…

·        From the addictions that the world has that the devil uses to hold us hostage…

·        From the influences that the world has over us…

·        From the many temptations that satan has used to cause us failure…

·        From spirits of depression and stresses that the devil tries to derail GOD’S people with…

 

The Psalmist said, HE turned me… He changed me… HE GAVE ME A REASON TO SING SO SAYS THE PSALMIST…

 

E.      PS 30:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee forever.     KJV

 

The phrase; (TO THE END---)

 

From the place of change to the very end… Singing is involved… Joy is present… Hope is found… That is reason for praise and THANKSGIVING…

 

·        To many have started and stopped…

·        To many have begun only to fizzle out…

·        To many have started to only arrive at compromise…

Is this all because they have forgotten??? Is it perhaps because their desire has waned???  

Perhaps there be many reasons as to why they couldn’t carry on until the end, but when it happens to all involved they cease to GIVE THANKS AND THE ABILITY TO GAIN ACCESS, ENTRANCE IS LOST…

·        HE TURNED ME SAID THE PSALMIST…

·        HE CHANGED ME…

SO, TO THE END THE CHOICE OF THE CHURCH WILL BE; I WILL GIVE THANKS…

IN THE CHURCH EVERYDAY IS A DAY OF THANKSGIVING…